Flash holder



H. H. HARMON June 8, 1948,

' FLASHHOLDER Filed Nov. 23, 1946 lrIliilllllilllililllllllllllllc IN VEN TOR z/ 22 46 47 E lATTORNEYS Patented June 8, 1948 @UNITED orales FLASH HOLDER Herbert'H..Harmon, Rochester, NKY., assignorto 'S'Eastman Kodak Company,itochesterfNsiY., 'a ecol-poration of New lcrsey Application November 23,;1946, ASeriallNo..111,869

"f1-lie present invention .relates to flashlight .tDhOtOglaDhw 4and particularly .to `a flashholder .tobe ,detachaibly mountedion a. flashlight camera -havinga builtfinjlash synchronizer and arranged so,-..thatA the*,battery,.andlflash'` lamp of .the holder lare, automatically connected in circuit with .the

,.synclironizer.switch,.in Lthe camera when the holder is .attached thereto.

"Thaprimary Vobject `.of the present invention Listo provide.\a.,flashholder which can be readily connected .to and .disconnected `from a 'fl-ash camera and arranged so. .that..the ,Open battery circuit-therein will ,automatically connect with the synchronizer, switch controlled circuit of the l.camera nwhen .the iiashholderk is attached Vto the vcamera body.

. Other 'objectsofIthe' invention, include the provvisionof Aafla'shholderwhichis compact in con- .;-st'ruction and can }be.,produced,at a reasonable -`cost; Whichhasa means'ior detachably mount- .'ing thesame .onzthe camera body which accuratelyjlocates the Ppairs ...of .contacts on .the holdenwith thoseon the camera body andnecessitates them being" broughtA togetherv in the proper .engaging relationship; ,which has a Vmanually actuated latching means which 4`prevents acci- ,1 dental removaliof the `flashholder fr omv the camera .,bo.dy;which ,is ,so, arrangedthat the. battery cir- Y cuit.therein includes no vWires Whiohfmust :be solderedfto contacts and might. 'become .discomnected; `.and which includes. a novel releasable locking. means ,for holding'the flash lamp in.' its v socket.

llThe novel "featnresthatI consider character- .,itself, lhowever," bothA as '.to .its organization.v and .its .methodoi operation, together 4with additional objects an'd advantages thereof ,will y'best be ,understood 'from 'the following vdescription of specic. embodimentsA when read vin connection withv the. accompanying. .drawings in which;

'.Fiajlmisla topK plan viewjshowing a flashholder constructedin accordancawith tlrepreferred embodiment of the .presentnvention.attached to .the v'sidewall ofacamera bodyin operative rela- .tiornfcr flash photography;

L'Fig.;2,.,is arear elevational View of the flash- ,.1,holderand. camera combination showmin Eig. 2; jlig. 3,.,isasectional viewltaken substantially on. liner 3-3 of LEig..y2;

,Eig.,.4.lsfanenlarged sectional view takensub- .....stantially on kline .4-f4..of,Eig. 1, and .showlnghow the mounting plateis attachedtothe .casing of :the llashholder;

(Gl. (rl-131') 2 "Figa is 'an elevational` detaill ofthe l-latchirneni- 'i beriorming.` apart ofxtheasliholder v and 4serving isolationthe.same .,onthe Vcamerabody; f

Fig. "61is an enlarged sectional detall'taken 5 substantially on'lineI-S-#S of '1,-and 'showing 'how theflashholder is latche-dgtothe camera LbDdy;

I Eig'f' is .rear viewlooking into thebatterycomt partrnent of the casing" `withlthe :cover and battory removed, andpar,tly"in section to show-"the jiorm and relation ofithe ground and batterycon- .,nectors and :contact *pins Aof the holder-'Which are 4.adapted to engage afcorrespondingpair of con- ;,tacts on theA camera"bodyto completev the` ,flash synchronizing circuit; and

"Fig lisa partialsidexyieW-of 'the flashholder with' the cover removed, looking directly s at the rightside Vofthe holder as ,shown in'Fig. 1, and ...indicating the.4 position 1 the attaching stud "on lthe camera 1 -body assumes lWheni'the Avlilash-holder isjlatched onthe camera body.

Likemeference characters referto 'correspond- Q ingfparts: throughoutthe drawings.

iThe.. present ,liashholder is -of--the-Wel1-known type Whlchihousesthe battery .and ashlamp-and includes LtWo spaced `contacts'whichf'are adapted to engage a,pairfof:corresponding-contacts on 'the.camerabodyfwhen the holder "is lattached tothe `camera to `connect 5- the battery circuit to 301the Asyn'chlonizer switch :circuit Linthe Vcamera so that the switchwill control the 4flashing of ftlielarllp. ilCameras "of this Jtype lusually `have the synchronizer Vsylfitchjbuilt Vinto the Acarriera shutter 'mechanism' so` thatsthe' lamp circuit is (closed in. proper synchronization with `the openring movement of theshutter. -Inasmuch asthe Asynchronizer mechanism ;jbuilt into the #camera maybe of 'anyone' of severarwell'known'Varieties '.and forms ;'no"parto`f theinvention, and inas- 40 much as the 'form "oifthe camera wbody itself is of ,no c0nseguence,`1 'have chosento indicate the camera :body only by two Walls at substantially "right 'angles' to .one. another. forr'the V:purpose of ldis'closing rnyinvention.

Referring nowfto"the idrawings, and particf ularly" Figail and l3,"the i camera body 'lll `with which myashholdergis adapted forusegmay be .ofa.generally rectangular shapeand include a 'front wall ll ,andasidewall'll'at substantially light angles to.one another. "Extending from the s`idej wall ofthe Acamera there-areJ two" spaced electrical contacts, lone of'whioh is indicated at `I3 in'Fig.'"3,'and -which may be conn'ectedtoop- A1oositeterminals of the .synchronizerswitch in lfthecamera in anysuitable'way. Extending from the front wall of the camera body is a locating pin it which cooperates with a mounting plate on the ashholder, in a manner to be hereinafter described, to properly position the holder on the camera to facilitate proper engagement ofthe contacts on the camera body with a pair of contacts on the flashholder. vExtendingfrom the side wall of the camera body is an lattaching stud il, of the form best shown in Fig. 6, and having an enlarged head I8 and a shank llil smaller in diameter than the head.

Corning now to the flashholder per se, this part comprises a substantially L-shaped open casing 25 which is adapted to beclosed by a cover 2|'. Both the casing and cover are preferably molded from a plastic material which has the property of being an insulator for electricity, The cover 2l is detachably connected to the casing by means of a bolt 22 which is rotatably mounted in a bushing 23 and screws into a nut 24 pressed into a boss 25 molded into'the front wall of the casing. A captive pin 26 extending thru the shank of the bolt prevents the bolt from becoming accidentally disengaged from the cover. y

As shown in Fig. 3, the short arm of the L-shaped casing 20 provides a compartment 21 in which a small dry cell battery 28 is adapted to be located. The positive terminal of the battery engages a battery connector 29 of the form best shown in Figs. '7 and 8. This connector comprises a base portion 30 which is riveted at 3| to the forward wall .of the -compartment 21 and from which an arm 32 extends having a turned-up battery terminal engaging portion 33 on the end thereof. Extending downwardly from the base portion 30 is a resilient arm 34 which presses against the rounded end of contact pin 35 to normally force said pin outwardly of the side wall of the casing. This contact pin is freely slidable in a bore in the side wall of the casing and the shoulder on the head of the pin limits the outward movement thereof. Itis the outer end 36 of this pin which is adapted to engage one of the two spaced contacts on the camera body when the flashholder is mounted thereon.

The front wall of the casing 20 is provided with bore 31 in the wall of which are formed two diametrically spaced grooves 38 for the reception of the two bayonet pins 39 on the base of the ilash lamp 4l). The lamp is releasably locked in the bore 31 by a release member 4| which has a turned down end 42 fastened to the front of the casing by a screw 43. The release member 4| is made of resilient metalr and includes a straight portion 44 which normally extends at an angle lengthwise of one f the grooves 38 to permit the pin on the lamp base to enter said groove. As the lamp is pushed into the bore the pin on the lamp base cams the release member toward the bottom of the groove 38 until it snaps into a hole 45 in the arm, whereupon the release member snaps toward the lamp base to lock the lamp in the bore. The extreme end 4B of the release member is twisted 90 relative to the portion thereof lying in the groove 38 and extends through an elongated narrowopening 41 in the cover. Thus, by pressing Von the end 46 of the release member in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 3, the release memfber is moved away from the base 0f the lamp to free the pin thereon so that the lamp will be ejected from the bore by a spring action as will be described hereinafter.

In encircling relation with the bushing 23 on the cover is a bowed spring one end 48 of which engages the negative terminal of the battery and serves to press the positive terminal thereof into contact with portion 33 of the battery connector, while the other end 49 of which engages the contact 50 in the base of the lamp. This spring, therefore, provides three functions, (1) it constitutes ,the electrical connector between the battery and ,thelamp`, .'(2)itfgresilientlyholds the battery in place, and (3) it serves as the ejecting force to eject the lamp from the socket when the same is released by the release member. It will be appreciated that vthe complete lamp socket is made'up of the bore 31 in the front Wall ofA the casing, the end 49 of the bowed spring, and the release member 4|, the last two parts entering into this part since they constitute the electrical contacts of the socket.

Fixed to the front of the casing in surrounding relation to the lamp is a metal reflector 5l. Ifthis reiiector is made of a metal whichissufliciently conductive it may beused as a conductor vforming a part of the'ground circuit of the battery. vTo this end, the base 52 'of the reflector is mounted Qn the front of the casing and vis held in engagement with the turned-down'end 42 of the release member 4| by thecrew A43. 'A portion of the wall of the refiector'adjacent to the open end thereof lies in contact with a curvedlsurface 53 formed on the casing and is fixed to said surface and electricallyvconnected to a ground connector 54, in the forward' endof the battery compartment, by a screw 55.`

As kclearly shown in'Figs. 3, 7 and 8, the ground connector 54 includes a base portion 56 which is riveted at 51 to the forward end lof compartment. The ground connector 54 is located'"be tween two plastic ribs 58 'and 59'formed upon the forward wall of the batteryfcompartment, and is insulated from battery connector 29 by the latter one of said ribs. Extending from the base portion of the ground connectorv isv a resilient arm 50, the end of which engages the rounded end of a second contact pin 6l to normally press the same outwardly of the' side wall of the casing. The end 36 of. this pin is the one which is adapted to'engage the othercontact pin on the outside of the camera'body. The

l head of the contact pin 35 is made longer than k resilient arm 34 of the battery connector 2K9 from engaging the resilient arm 6l) of ground connector 54 and thus short circuiting the battery. The described mounting of the contact pins 35 and 6| is preferable to having thenimounted directly on the ends of the resilient arms of the connectors, because it overcomes all difficulty of a binding action which follows such other mounting due to the slight arcuate movement the pins tend to take if Xedto the ends of the arms. With the present arrangement, the contact pins move smoothly and effortlessly, since only a straight thrust is applied'thereto by virtue of the sliding movement between the resilient arms of the connectors andthe rounded ends of the pins.

It has been found thatif the rear surface of the reflector 5| is anodized, some diilculty is encountered in getting it to act as a sufficiently good conductor of the low voltage current available. It is not knownwhether this'is due to the inability of obtaining a good Contact between this type of surface and the other conductors or whether it is due to the conductive properties of the metal being changed due to this treatment. If this condition exists, it can be overcome` by the use of a jumper contact 5|' asshown in Fig.

1 sananet "33. ""Ihisjumper contactcomprises a-long strip of-metal curved-to fit against' the' back of therekectorSl andhavinga looped end'52 adapted v-`to surround-the base ofthe lamp and be xed'to *thecasing-in contact with the turned down end- "ground connector'54 and-reflectorl-to the cas- "ingTliis 4jumper'may be provided with a bowed portion 54 which permits of a slight changein vlength-and in'shape of the member necessitated inthe assembly operation.

"-Inorderto 'fully understand-the significance 'of the means vI have provided for attaching the ashholder-tothe'camera body, the problem in- 'Vol-ved inthisoperation should be particularly fpointed out. *It-will benoticed by an inspection mally extend from vthe side of the flashholder. Sincefthe same is true of the corresponding con- "tact pins on the camera body, in the preferred Hinstance, it stands to `reason that these pairs of conta-cts can-not be brought into end -to enden- 'gajgementif the fiashholder is attached to the ycamera body/by a sliding action between thetwo. -^Evenif theconta'cts on the camera body were 4fiushfwith the camera wall, or recessed slightly relative thereto, a sliding action of the holder.;

yinto engagement'with grooves 65 molded into r`the-top andbottom walls of the casing adjacent the `side Wall thereof and having the rear-end thereof riveted to the casing wall aftersuchfas- `sembly, as indicated at r55 in Figs. 3 and `8. The

forward'end of the mounting-plate 63 is turned# in=to provide a flange lil which is yadapted to -engagethe front wall of `the camera when rthe Nflashholder-is mounted thereon. This flange I'6l Aisprovided with alocating aperture which is adapted to engage the locating pin i6 on the-front wallof the camera to locatethe holder on the camera body so that the pairs of contacts on the iholderand camera body will come into engagelmentwhen lthe vholder is swung ontovthe camera ebody. In order to place the fashholder on the camera-body it is necessary torst hold the iiashholder" at an anglevto'the camera bodyfand-engage the locating pin I6 `in the locating aper- 'ture168, then the holder can be swung inwardly Atoward-the sidewall'of the camera'until the face of the mounting plate is in engagement with'the `camera sidewall. The attaching stud I1 eX- --tending from-the camera side -wall prevents the iashholder -from being attached to the camera by astraightsliding movement from the front 'ftothe-backof the camera. The mounting plate "vB3-*includes an aperture 89 see '-Fig. '7,1through whichthe contact pins A'35 and 6| are adapted to J`extend.

IlAs clearly-*shown -in Fig. 6, the 4mounting :pl-ate 363 #is iprovided with an @aperture 'i110 v-through Lwhich the head 'of the attaching stud l-"|4 E(mathe l camera sidewall 'isa'd-aptedi to'feXtend-f-whenf-the flashholderis mountedl-onlthef eamera'body. *The side wall offthef-camerais alsof provided `with a Arecess '1l which 'fis large enough'fto receive 'lthe *head of "the attaching "stud, 'Slidably mounted in a groove 12 in the side wall of said casingf-and confined '-to said groove by the mountingplate *63,fisa latchtmember 13 ofthe formbe'st shown in Fig. 5. This latch member includes al-loWer aperture 16 which is large enoughfto' pass the head of'V the attaching *stud I1 and anfupper-f-aperture il which is smaller than aperture l'-andfof taching stud [1, see Fig. 8. 'Theupperend-fof the latch lmember `is `turned vover to fprovide a `ringer -piece 1-9 by means l of which the 'latch member can be raised to a releaselpositionfwhereinthe large aperture 16 therein is alignedfwith .the aperture 10 in thevrnountingplateftofpermit the -head oftheattaching stud l'l'to pass finto .and out of the recess 'H' inthe side wall iofzthe vcamera and lowered to latchingrposition, =where `in the ysmall aperture 'I1 therein isimovediinto alignment with. said aperture .10 A in the Umounting plate to :engage the shank I9 of the :istud -H and .preventthe flashholderfrom'beingvrermovedfrom the camerarbody. The :fmgerrpiece `'r9 .anda rolled-.overvendfll on vthe latch 1member prevent `the `latch member (from being slid out of assembled relationship between the mountfing plate and the side wallrofthe casing.

In order to prevent the latch: memberfrom being accidentally :moved from Ja zlatching. position, whereupon theashholder will accidentally fall oi of theucamera body, .'I-providea simple and .effective .means for frictionally holdingztheilatch member fin va :latching position. To .thisend, las

clearly shown in Fig. 5, the large and smalllapertures 1.6 and-l1 in'thelatchlmemberlS are .con- -nectedby afrestrictedpassage 8| which'is slightly rnarrower -than the-diameter of theshanklcof theattaching stud H. Then the-latch member is providedzwith a slot 82 extending `from its'lower end,'through the center lineof apertureslliand vTH toapoint above said apertures. This slot per- /mits the two .flower ends of thelatch ymemberfto spring from one another :laterally .of .the length 4oi 4the member andzpermits the restrictedpassage 181 to open `up sufficiently t0 .allow the shank I9l of the stud` to pass from one aperture tothe other. 'It will then be. obvious :that in. order .to move the .latchmember 'T3 from a latching position :to a release position, suiicient pullmust bel exerted lon the .latch member to cause thev ends thereof to spread and open up therestricted-passagefl enough to allow passage of the shank I9 ofthe 4stud IT. l

From the above description it will bel-appreciated that I have provided a iiashholder which is particularly simple from 'the standpoint ofas- AsembIy, as well as ruggedinasmuch as nol individlual Wiresare used as conductors nor Vare vany soldered joints required. The manner and mecharvnism Aprovided for attaching the fiashholder` to the camera body, in addition .to `causing proper alignment `and engagement of the pairs of contacts on the two parts, prevents a relative'sliding movement between `the two parts Whichmight cause the side wall of the-camera'tobe marred or cause the contacts to be broken. It also-:provides la frictional'latching arrangement which elimi- "H'als lany chance of the flashholder becoming '-1accidental1yf removed 'fromcmhgfcamera body'.4

Although I have shown Vand described certain specific embodiments of my invention, I am fully aware that many modifications thereof are possible. My invention, therefore, is not to be limited to the precise details of construction shown and` outside of the body, and comprising a casing, a

battery in said casing, a flash lamp socket in said casing, la pair of contact pins extending from one wall of said casing, means for connecting one side of said battery to one of said contact pins and for connecting the other side of said battery through said socket to the other of said contact pins, a

mounting plate fixed to one wall of said casing and provided with one aperture adapted to engage said locating pin on the camera body and a second aperture adapted to receive the head of said attaching stud on the camera, body whereby the Contact pins on the casing are moved into engagement with the contacts on said camera body, and

a rele-asable latching member mounted on the face of said mounting plate to move to and from a latching position wherein it engages the head of said attaching stud to prevent its removal from the aperture in saidv mounting plate and thereby latch the casing on said camera body.

2. A ashholder according to claim 1, and in which the latch member is arranged to frictionally engage said attaching stud to prevent accidental movement of the same to a release position.

3. A flashholder according to claim 1, and in which the latch member comprises a member provided with a hole large enough to pass the head of said attaching screw and a restricted aperture smaller than said hole and adapted to engage the shank of said attaching screw, said hole and restricted aperture being joined by a restricted passage slightly narrower than the diameter of said restricted aperture, said latch member slidably mounted on said mounting plate to move between a release position wherein said hole therein is aligned with said second aperture in the mounting plate and a latching position wherein the restricted aperture is aligned with said aperture in the mounting plate, said latch member being split along the line of centers of said hole and aperture to permit spreading of said restricted passage as the member is moved between its two positions when the attaching stud extends through said member.

4. A flashholder for use in combination with a camera body having a locating pin on its front wall, an attaching stud extending `from its side wall and a pair of electrical contacts located on one of said walls and comprising a casing, a battery in said casing, a flash lamp socket in said casing, a pair of contact pins extending from one wall of said casing, means for connecting one side of said battery to one of said contact pins and for connecting the other side of said battery through said socket to the other of said contact pins, a mounting plate attached to one Wall of said casing and including a first arm adapted to engage the side wall of the camera body and a second arm adapted to` engage the front wall of said camera body, said second arm including Y an aperture adapted to slip over said locating pin to correctly position the holder on said camera body so that the contact pins on said casing will engage ythe contacts on said camera, said rst arm provided with an aperture to receive the head of said attaching stud when the casing is mounted on said camera, and a releasable latching member mounted on said mounting plate adapted to move into latching engagement with the head of said attaching screw to latch the casing on said camera body.

5. A ashholder comprising in combination a casing of plastic insulating material, a battery in said casing, a pair of headed contact pins slidably mounted in openings in the wall of said casing and constituting the terminals of the battery circuit in said casing and adapted to engage a corresponding pair of electrical contacts extending from the wall of ash camera provided with a flash synchronizer switch when the casing is mounted on said camera, a connector between the positive terminal of said battery and one of said contact pins and including a resilient arm engaging the head of one of said pins to normally force the pin outwardly of said casing, a removable cover for said casing, the ground circuit of said battery including a double-ended metal spring carried by said cover and having one end adapted to engage the ground terminal ofthe battery and the other end adapted to engage the lbase contact of the flash lamp and serve as the ejector thereof when the lamp is released from locking engagement with said socket, a ground connector fixed to the casing remote Yfrom said socket and including a resilient arm for engaging the head of the other contact pin to normally force said pin outwardly of said casing, and a jumper connection between said socket and said ground connector and lying outside of said casmg.

6. A ashholder according to claim 5 and in which said jumper connection constitutes a metal reflector Surrounding said lamp and having the base thereof electrically connected to the socket and a point on the reflector surface remote from said base electrically connected to said ground connector.

7. A flashholder according to claim 5 adapted to accommodate ash lamps having bayonettype bases and in'which the socket comprises a bore in said casing wall having diametrically spaced grooves to receive land locate the position of the pins on the lamp base, a metal lamp release member fixedv at one end to said casing and grounded to said jumper connection, and including a resilient arm normally lying at an angle in and along one of said grooves and provided with an aperture adapted to engage the pin on the base of the lamp when the latter is pushed into saidV socket to lock the lamp in the socketagainst the action of said ejector spring, said release member constituting the connector between the lamp and said jumper connection, and means for manually moving said release member to a lamp releasing position.r

8. A ashholder according to claim 5adapted to accommodate flash lamps having bayonettype bases and in which the socket comprises a bore in said casing wall having diametrically spaced grooves to receive and locate the-position of the pins on the lamp base, a metal lamp release member fixed at one end to said casing and grounded to said jumper connection, and in-v cluding a resilient arm normally lying at an. n ,y

9 angle in and along one of said grooves and provided with an aperture adapted to engage the pin on the Ibase of the lamp when the latter is pushed into said socket to lock the lamp in the socket against the action of sai-d ejector spring, said release member constituting the connector between the lamp and said jumper connection, the end of said release member extending through an opening in the casing and providing a iinger piece by means of which said member may be sprung from its normal position in said recess to disengage the aperture therein from locking engagement with the pin on the base of the lamp.

HERBERT H. HARMON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS l0 Number Name Date 1,997,315 Schwartz Apr. 9, 1935 2,286,808 Hutchison June 16, 1942 

